La Une in English: December 2006

Where to buy your Christmas cards Papeterie La Mucca, rue des Lois This paper store is one of my favorite places in Toulouse. Come check out the post cards, personal journals of all sizes and styles (some of which are made by hand), photo albums, assorted gifts, and of course, Christmas cards as well as cards for any occasion. The ups Not only are the journals and cards varied and beautiful, the owners (who are quite friendly) play jazz music as well as soundtracks from films such as « The Nightmare Before Christmas ». …and the downs Prices are not always that cheap. Be prepared to pay anywhere between two and four euros per card. Midica, Place Esquirol This megastore is not only a great resource for bathrobes, hair dryers, and outlet converters. You can also find lots of basic cards with envelopes in every color. Do a little tour of the sales floor and you’ll find stickers, stencils and other materials for decorating your own cards. The ups Items aren’t that expensive, and cards are easy to mix-and-match. With your decorations you can easily add your own taste to your cards. …and the downs Watch out ! Midica is also a popular store for buying Christmas presents, so there is always a crowd to get through. Give yourself plenty of time and relax when you go. La Papéthèque, rue de Metz, across from the Augustins museum Here you can buy packets of Christmas cards (as well as for New Years)-which is something I have only seen in France. When you are there, you can also purchase papers, notebooks, and pens-which adds a little French touch to your letters sent back home. The ups You save 10% by presenting your « carte d’étudiant » upon checking out. …and the downs The selection is limited, especially if you’re looking for ways to save money by buying in packs of cards. --Anna Cumbie, editor Spanish Torte Ingredients: Crust : 300 g flour 150 g margarine water 1 egg Filling : Olive oil 2 minced onions 1 green pepper finely chopped 1 red pepper finely chopped 1 minced garlic clove 425 ml / 400 g (1 can) crushed tomatoes water 250 g (1 can) tuna 1 handful of pine nuts Preparation : Mix, by hand, the flour and the margarine until the mixture becomes a sandy texture. Add a small amount of water and form into a ball, with a fork, and then with fingertips. :Make sure to not mix the crust until it becomes elastic. Divide the crust in two parts, one part being a bit larger than the other. Set aside. Heat a pan with olive oil. Cook onions until they become transparent. Add peppers. When the peppers are soft, make space in the pan and use it to heat the garlic. Next, mix garlic with other ingredients. Add the tomatoes. Add water as necessary to avoid burning. Allow ingredients to cook over low heat, until liquids have been reduced … make sure nothing burns in the bottom of the pan. Add tuna, then pine nuts; mix, and turn off heat. Roll out the dough, making sure to flour generously so that it doesn’t stick. Put the largest circle of dough in the pan. Pour vegetables into the pan. Cover with other part of dough. Pinch the sides. Make a hole in the center. Glaze with one beaten egg so the crust will brown. Place the torte in an oven at a reasonably high temperature for about 45 minutes paying close attention that the dough browns properly. Take out the torte when the dough is browned. Eat up ! Bon appétit !!! VARIATIONS : 1. Instead of placing the second part of dough on top, before placing the torte in the oven add two eggs to the vegetable mixture and mix well. 2. Same preparation (vegetables-tuna), but this time prepare extra dough to make turnovers. :Make small circles with the dough, put the vegetable mixture in the center, dampen the edges, and fold the dough to form half circles. Glaze the edges with egg and cook in the oven. --Karen Kirner

Cooking Class with Mme Saub (Left) A few Dickinson students went to Madame Annick Saub’s apartment on Saturday December 9 in order to learn how to make varied Christmas treats as well as foie gras. (Right) One of the recipes we tried was for almond praline truffles. Recipe: Cognac Truffles 300 g dark chocolat 100 g butter 2 egg yolks 1 Tbsp heavy cream 100 g sugar 2 Tbsp cognac Unsweetened cocoa powder Melt the chocolate in a pan over low heat…make sure you stir constantly! Add the butter, cut into small pieces, followed by the egg yolk, the cream, the sugar, and the cognac…make sure you mix well after adding each ingredient. Refrigerate mixture. Once cooled form into small balls and then refrigerate again. Roll the balls in the cocoa and place them in candy papers. Recipe: Coconut "Snowballs" Ingredients: 1 can of condensed milk (sweetened) 100 g butter 200 g shredded coconut + 50 g Heat the milk in a pan over low heat, add butter followed by the coconut, stir continuously to avoid burning the ingredients, until the ingredients form a ball in the pan. Refrigerate. Once cooled, form into balls and roll them in the rest of the coconut – place them in candy papers. Conserve in refrigerator in a sealed box. --Many thanks to Mme Saub for her interesting class and for her recipes! Best Wishes As the cold weather arrives the sad reality of exams is knocking at our doors. But for goodness sakes, don't lose the Christmas spirit! To take a little break from your studying, go to the Marché de Noël at the Place du Capitole (until December 28th) for a hot drink, or take your notes and study in a tea salon. Take advantage of the holidays, whether you are in Toulouse or elsewhere. Bons voyages and happy holidays. Until next year! --Anna Cumbie, rédactrice Birthdays in January 9 : Joanna 13 : Stephanie My Gift Guide for everyone on your list American parents : for your parents, chose regional specialities that you cannot find in the States. L’Armagnac, foie gras, violet candy or a bottle of Gaillac-especially from the Lastours Château-all of this will be greatly appreciated. You can also search for the traditional French present, even if it’s not really from the southwest : mustard, soap, table-cloth, champagne. Host family : for your host family, try and find something that the entire family can appreciate. If you have siblings, buy them chocolates, or a DVD that can be enjoyed by all family members. If not, you can always give them a gift for the house like candles or coffee cups. The host family gift shouldn’t be extravagent or too expensive, but more something that shows that you are thankful and appreciative of everything they do for you. American brother : for a brother, check out French comic books in the TinTin boutique (between Capitole and Esquirol) or the booksellers (at the Place St. Etienne on Saturdays) or buy a chocolate bar or a French CD. American sister : a scarf, earings, or perfume are great and easily purchased gifts for any sister under any budget. Boyfriend : check out the wallets or something useful that he can always carry around. You could also offer a gift that could be shared between the two of you-a bottle of champagne or a gift certificate for a restaurant. Girlfriend : you can always find numerous things in France that will be appreciated by a girlfriend, such as an eau de parfum or a bracelet. You can also buy her chocolates or something that you can share. American grand-parents : photography calandars of Toulouse make great gifts for grand-parents (they can show them to their friends), or tea and other tasty luxuries are also highly appreciated. American friends : personal journals from Mucca make great gifts that are easily sent and you can also chose one for each friend. They may also appreciate candy or hot chocolate mix. --Anna Cumbie, editor Cliquez ici pour retourner à la version française.